When the Cincinnati Bengals take the field for Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, they will be doing so with Ja’Marr Chase. The superstar receiver is “100%” playing on Saturday, according to reports.
Chase has been a limited participant in practice this week after suffering an ankle injury in Sunday’s win over the Indianapolis Colts. Considering the shorter week and being in a must-win situation, having Chase be limited during the week is not exactly a surprise. If the Bengals are going to come out on top, they are going to need Chase to be as healthy as possible, and that means being somewhat careful in the lead-up to the game.
The former LSU Tiger has 89 receptions or 1,092 yards and seven touchdowns this season. Chase’s numbers have been somewhat inconsistent following the season-ending injury to Joe Burrow. However, Jake Browning has shown the ability to feed Chase a high volume of targets on occasion. The third-year pass catcher recorded 11 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown in Cincinnati’s 34-31 win over Jacksonville in Week 13.
At 7-6, the Bengals still have an outside shot at the playoffs. There are four other teams with identical records ahead of Cincinnati as things stand currently, with one of them (Pittsburgh) being one of their final four games. A couple of well-timed wins combined with some losses coming from teams ahead of the standings could see the Bengals defy the odds and make the playoffs without the face of their franchise. While not likely, anything is possible.
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